Logitech G9X Programmable Laser Gaming Mouse with Precision Grips

10 Review to this product

• 

  MaximumPC
  September 4th, 2009 on 8:51 pm

  Rating

  When we first reviewed the original Logitech G9 (November 2007), we didn’t like it. Specifically, we thought it was uncomfortable to hold, using either of the removable shells. In fact, we described it as “not particularly comfortable for day-to-day mousing” before complaining that it was unsuitable for people who use a traditional palming grip.

  We were wrong. After we made a few small adjustments to our grip, we fell in love with the G9–at least when using the grippy palm-friendly Precision body. We still don’t like the smooth grip–dubbed Wide Load–and we’re generally not fans of having to adjust our grip to suit a mouse, but the smooth response and power-gamer-friendly features that the G9x delivers make this mouse the best we’ve ever tested.

  The Logitech G9x upgrades the mouse’s sensor, but the rest of the mouse stays the same.

  For the most part, the G9x and the original G9 are identical. The removable shells are the same, the internal weighting system accommodates up to 28 grams of weight, the onboard memory stores up to five profiles, and the scroll wheel switches between crazy-fast click-free scrolling to a more traditional click-to-click scroll at the press of a button. The only difference between the original G9 and the new G9x is its enhanced laser sensor.

  Replacing the original G9′s variable-sensitivity, 3,200dpi laser sensor is a 5,000dpi laser sensor, for true twitch gamers. At the highest sensitivity settings, moving the mouse a fraction of an inch will blast the cursor across the screen–giving you an edge in fast-paced shooters or RTS games where you need to cover a lot of ground quickly. Want to slow it down for a little sniping? Crank the mouse down as low as 200dpi on the fly, using the sensitivity adjustment buttons directly below the left mouse button. The mouse updates Windows up to 1,000 times per second, for accurate cursor movement no matter how fast you move it.

  In its naked, shell-off form, you can see the G9x’s removable weight tray. Whether you prefer a light or heavy rodent, you can have it your way.

  As before, we love the G9x’s profile feature, which lets you switch between pre-configured profiles on the fly on any PC, whether you have Logitech’s software installed or not (you will need to have Logitech’s software installed to configure the profiles initially, though). The on-mouse LEDs change color based on the profile you’re using, so you won’t accidentally find yourself in your RTS shooter profile when you fire up Left 4 Dead.

  As with the G9, the seams between the G9x’s removable shells and the main mouse body get pretty crusty over a long period of time. But everything else about this mouse–from the braided cord to its pair of thumb buttons–is awesome.

  + The best sensor we’ve ever tested. On-the-fly sensitivity adjustment. Driver-less profiles.

  - The satiny texture of the Wide Load shell gets sweaty & gross after long sessions.

  Verdict: 10 out of 10
• 

  Martin A Hogan
  October 15th, 2009 on 6:45 pm

  Rating

  In appearance and feel, there is not much difference between this gaming mouse and the G9 gaming mouse. However, you can adjust the sensitivity of the mouse for gaming by creating up to five mouse profiles and you can determine the sensitivity you want, so your arrow can zip across your screen super-fast or go slower, depending on what kind of game you are involved in. The G9X has the enhanced laser which makes for more accurate gaming. Once you have that under control, your gaming precision is sure to get faster and more accurate.

  As far as simply being a good mouse, it still has great features. Like the G9, there is a choice between a wider or thinner mouse grip. (I use the wider one as my hands are large and I have always had trouble with thinner mice). Plus, you can add weight to the mouse (up to 28 g), which is something I had never thought would be such a great advantage until I used it. The bulk and the sensitivity really improve handling. The scroll wheel can be adjusted to either a smooth or a click response (I prefer the click). Just the velvety feel and the wider grip make a huge difference. This might seem minor, but the cord is braided which makes it easy to distinguish when plugging and unplugging in the back of my desktop. In short, this version of gaming mouse is better than the G9 since it contains the gaming profiles and the enhanced laser (in software installation).
  
• 

  Michael D. Briggs
  October 20th, 2009 on 10:46 am

  Rating

  I got this as a review product and I have to say at first I was wondering how a mouse could be worth $90. Well I have to say, it is!

  When you stop to think about it, you use your mouse more than your keyboard (unless you are a TV show hacker and between work and home, I have use many mice and I have to say this is without a doubt the best I have ever used. Like all Logitech products; it is well built, has lots of customizing features and is fun to use.

  Unlike some I have used, this one is not for tiny hands. I fits my hand very well. It comes with two shells, one smooth & one rough. I prefer the smooth one. It also comes with 4-4gram & 4-7gram weights and you can put up to four of them is a little drawer. Yeah it sounds weird, but it works! It gives the mouse a better “feel”. I find that two 4gram and two 7gram work best for me.

  It has not only the normal left click/right click & wheel, but the wheel clicks left/down/right as well. I also has two buttons next to your thumb and two more at the bottom of the left click button. And like all Logitech product, you can customize these button to whatever you want them to do. And if that it not enough, you can have five different sets of settings, color coded to the LEDs on the mouse. And one of the best features, you can change these setting with a button on the bottom of the mouse. No need to go open a program and do it on your computer, it is quick and easy to convert from one setting to another. There is another button on the bottom that changes how your wheel scrolls. There are two options; one is “clicky”, you can feel a click with each line. The other is free spinning that lets you scroll very fast! The laser is very responsive and it slides very smoothly.

  There is one problem I have but it not for the mouse specifically. I have several Logitech accessories and each one has its own operating program. It would be nice if there was one operating program that took care of everything and allowed you to access everything from one location.

  That or Logitech need to start making PCs!
• 

  L. XIAO
  October 27th, 2009 on 12:04 pm

  Rating

  1st I have to say that I am not a serious gamer and I got this mouse from Amazon.com’s Vine program.

  When I 1st received the mouse, it looked different from any other mice I have used, after carefully unpackaging the box, I briefly went through the user manual to get myself familiarized with all the parts. I tried it on my laptop and here were my findings,

  1. A lot of nice features, such as adjustable sensitivity level, adjustable grip size, you can even change the weight of it, it’s really cool.

  2. I used it for web browsing, it was very very good, especially when you want to scroll up and down quickly and precisely, and I also used it to play my old favorite game “red alert”, took me a little time to get used to the way the mouse operates, but after that, I could see it really improved my game speed and could have been a big advantage if I had played againset other people online.

  I really could not find a downside of this mouse except its price, but if you can afford it and you play a lot of games, then go for it, you won’t be disappointed.
• 

  Hyun Yu
  October 29th, 2009 on 1:27 pm

  Rating

  I love the Logitech G9x laser mouse. I’ve had mine for about ten days now, and my computing–OK, let’s be honest here–my gaming has become so much more convenient and easier.

  My previous gaming mouse was the Logitech MX-518, which is in of itself a good gaming mouse. That has eight buttons, all of which can be programmed using the Logitech driver software to perform various functions, or to act as a keyboard press. The G9x takes all that one step further by enabling macro programming of keystrokes and mouse clicks. So you can assign your most-often used sequence of keystrokes and mouse clicks to a macro, and assign the macro to one nine customizable buttons on the mouse, and presto!

  The Logitech SetPoint driver software that runs the mouse is pretty slick, too. It makes recording macros easy, and the management of different button assignment profiles seamless. You can store three such settings on the mouse’s onboard memory, presumably so that you can take the mouse to a different computer and still be able to use those three profiles, as long as the mouse driver is installed on that other computer. You can also have as many local profiles (that is, not stored on the mouse but on the computer’s hard drive) as you want.

  This profile makes switching between games and regular Windows use/internet surfing very convenient. For example, my gaming profile is triggered when the game’s executable is the active window (or running fullscreen). When I alt-tab out to Windows’ desktop, the general profile–the one used for everyday mouse use–is triggered. When I go back to the game, the gaming profile takes over. Very easy, intuitive, and handy. The LED lights on the mouse body, which can be used to indicate the DPI sensitivity, can also be programmed to show different light for different profiles, so that you can tell at a glance which profile the mouse is operating under.

  The mouse uses infrared sensor (not visible to the naked eye), rather than the usual red LED light, to tract motion with greater accuracy. The nine buttons (three traditional left, right, and scroll wheel click buttons, two on the left thumb side, two below the three traditional buttons, and the scroll wheel button can be clicked left and right) are positioned for comfort and ease of access. I never knew what I was missing until I started using the left and right scroll wheel button. So convenient!

  The G9x also comes with a set of eight weights to add heft to the mouse to your heart’s content. You can have up to four weights in the weight tray, and the mouse comes with four 4g pieces and four 7g pieces. I’ve got mine configured with four 4g weights and it feels just fine.

  The mouse ships with two shells. The default one has smooth surface and is a bit wider than the other one, which has a rough(er) surface and a tad bit narrower. The cord is braided type that does not catch or snag nowhere nearly as much as the usual plastic cable.

  My only gripe with the mouse is the insensitivity of the scroll wheel button for down-clicking. Left- and right-click on the scroll wheel button is just fine, but the down-click takes surprising amount of force to the point of being slightly uncomfortable. It’s quite possible that this is an isolated case with my particular copy. If this weren’t a Vine review copy, I’d have returned it and requested a replacement.

  All in all, it’s a fantastic mouse, well worth the money if you spend any time gaming. Also great for every day use, but it really shines when it comes to gaming for its customizability and smooth usage. Highly recommended!
• 

  Charlie
  November 2nd, 2009 on 4:38 am

  Rating

  Logitech G9X Mouse
  
  The Logitech G9 and G9X have been hailed as the top gaming mice picks for quite some time by PC Gamer and other authorities on gaming hardware. I had been profusely disappointed by Microsoft’s mice offerings mainly due to their poor reliability. My previous gaming mouse was a Razer Diamondback which served me well for many years. Evaluating the G9X was just icing on the cake since I had been planning to buy one once they first came out.

  The G9X uses a high-resolution laser system for tracking. It has 2 primary buttons, 2 side buttons (for RH users only), and the scroll wheel can be pushed side to side, or straight down. On the bottom of the G9X, there is a switch that disengages the micro-clicking feature of the wheel which allows the wheel to free spin. The external grip is interchangeable and it comes with one larger grip that has a slippery rubber texture, while the smaller grip is just textured plastic. The small grip lacks a Teflon decal pad below the screws, but it doesn’t seem to affect movement. The cord is braided by a tough fabric material. The color of the LEDs on the top are changed via the software.

  There is a weight tray inside the mouse, and I quickly learned how to avoid jamming that tray inside the mouse. I noticed several dozen reviews complaining about this tray that jams up. The root cause is not clipping the weights properly. There are little wings in the tray that fit into the recess of each weight. If they are not fully seated, they can rub against the mouse causing it to jam up. Ensure the wings are all sitting flat, and you’re good to go.

  The coolest part about the G9X is the on-board memory. The software profile tool is only used to program the mouse! You can save up to 5 profiles, each with a different LED color so you can tell them apart. If you use the mouse on a different computer, it automatically loads the profile without using any software drivers!

  Pros: Weight is adjustable, I ended up using only 1-2 4g weights. Side scrolling on the wheel is great, memory settings via profiles is awesome (no drivers are needed), very comfortable to use.

  Cons: RH users only, not cordless at this price, very stiff scroll wheel button.

  Overall: 5/5 stars
  
• 

  J. Storm
  November 20th, 2009 on 5:20 am

  Rating

  I switched from using a Microsoft Sidewinder to this G9x from Logitech, and I would say it’s definitely on another level of quality over the Sidewinder. The compact size is a much more comfortable fit for my hand than the Sidewinder was, and the weights add a new sense of control that I haven’t had with any other mice I’ve used. The G9x comes with two different grips you can choose from. The textured grip is better for people with smaller hands over the smooth satin grip, which is a bit wider. It’s all a matter of personal preference and comfort, and it’s nice to have options. Setup was self-explanatory and took less than 5 minutes, and all of the settings were easy to customize. The buttons on the size of the mouse are more contoured, so you’re not bumping them when using it. That was a big problem with the Sidewinder, and it’s nice to not have to worry about it with the G9x. To top it off, you can customize the color of the LED lights which indicate your DPI setting, which is a nice little perk. Overall, the Logitech G9x may be a little on the pricey side, but if you’re looking for a quality gaming mouse, I would highly recommend it.
• 

  Omar Siddique
  December 14th, 2009 on 2:03 am

  Rating

  This very-customizable evolution of Logitech’s gaming mouse delivers just about every option a dedicated gamer could want.

  I replaced my Logitech G5 with this mouse, which adds some settings I’d never think to tweak, as well as interchangable grips, and an easier to use weight-adjustment system. It has taken a few sessions of Call of Duty 4 for me to adjust to the differences, but overall the G9 is snappier to use and should ultimately improve my gameplay.

  The G9x stores all settings in the onboard profiles, so the mouse may be used on any system w/o first installing software. This is handy since G9x configuration requires a special version of Logitech’s Setpoint software, designed to service only this mouse– you’ll still need your regular Setpoint for any other Logitech gear on the same system. The two versions can co-exist but updating one requires removing and reinstalling both. Hopefully Logitech does away with this cumbersome arrangement, since Setpoint has previously supported “all previous” Logitech mice. There’s also a physical DPI switch on the mouse to adjust mouse responsiveness on the fly, without changing profiles.

  The two removable grips look similar but dramatically change how the mouse is handled. The finger-hold (precision) grip is my choice, by contrast I found I played poorly with the palm-hold grip. For palm-hold players, you may notice this mouse has no “hump” to fit in your palm, like most of the newer Logitech desktop mice do. The G9x isn’t designed to used without one of the grips installed.

  The long braided cord is a nice no-tangle design, but for my desktop-PC under-the-table arrangement, the cord was a bit short/tight. That makes the mouse have something like a pivot-point based on where the cord attaches — making some side-to-side movements notably restricted.

  Minor quibbles: I found it a little tedious to get into the weight-cartridge tray since the grip has to be removed first (although once I found the optimal weight-balance for my use, I don’t expect to have to do this very often). And the button to change the scroll wheel from ratchet to smooth is on the bottom of the mouse, instead of on the top (like it is in the desktop Logitech mice), meaning I likely won’t use it during gameplay.

  Minor quibbles aside, this mouse does everything a gamer needs. It’s compact, solid, and responsive. The real complaint you’ll be left with is that you can no longer blame your mouse when you get fragged! Recommended.
• 

  Ernie Bob Clinon
  December 16th, 2009 on 2:13 am

  Rating

  Pro’s: I’ve had this mouse for a couple of months now and really love it. Being able to adjust the weight means less fatigue with long time use. As a gamer this is a big plus. The mouse wheel has a nice positive feel during use.

  Con’s:
  
  The only bad thing about this poduct is the price, but the old adgade that you gett what you pay for is definitely true.
• 

  cb
  December 16th, 2009 on 4:24 pm

  Rating

  Its a wonderful mouse. Tons of options, more than you probably need or will use. Feels good in the palm of your hand.